The present invention relates to chairs with replaceable sets of cushions that are preformed to conform to various sized occupants, and more particularly to collapsible baby carriages that have such cushion sets and that lie substantially flat when collapsed.
Collapsible baby carriages of various types are well known. Typically, the carriages include a seat section carried by a frame that may be collapsed. In some carriages, the seat section is a padded rigid structure that provides appropriate support for the child's body in the carriage (e.g., a mattress). However, such carriages cannot be collapsed so that the carriage may be flat for easy storage and handling. In other collapsible carriages, the seat section is less rigid (e.g., a cloth sling stretched across the frame such as in "umbrella" strollers) and the carriage can be collapsed so that it is flat for easy storage and handling. However, in these carriages the seat section provides improper or negligible support for the child's body. This problem is particularly acute where the seat is a cloth sling because an infant's body may be bent and doubled over in a carriage that is too large, while a larger child may contact an uncomfortable frame section in a carriage that is too small.
It is believed that the best support for a child's body (or for an invalid in a wheelchair) is provided by a seat that is contoured to match the size of the occupant. Contoured seats generally have a preformed backing that is cushioned. However, the preformed contours do not change size as the size of the child changes. For example, a carriage having contours that match the size of an infant will not be appropriate for a two or three year old, and vice versa.
Carriages having separate preformed and contoured seat sections may present the further problem of gaps between the sections that may provide additional discomfort or may pinch an occupant when the angular relationship between the seat sections is changed (e.g., when a back section is lowered so that a child may sleep more comfortably).
As is apparent, these same problems may arise in wheelchairs for physically disadvantaged individuals, especially for children that may outgrow a wheelchair, or may not sit comfortably in a wheelchair that is too large.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel collapsible mobile chair that provides good body support for the occupant and that obviates the problems of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel mobile chair having replaceable sets of cushions, each set having different sized contours therein to conform to different sized occupants.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a novel mobile chair having replaceable sets of cushions that overlap so that no substantial gaps are created between adjacent cushions when the angular relationship between the cushion changes.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of preferred embodiments.